With a history of more than 2000 years, acupuncture is a major part of an Asian tradition of medicine.
Although Chinese practitioners have long offered acupuncture in the U.S., the therapy moved towards greater acceptance in the nation only after late U.S. President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972.
More recently, a National Institute of Health medical committee endorsed Chinese traditional acupuncture as part of mainstream American medicine and called for further research into its application and integration into the American healthcare system.
The committee's unprecedented report acknowledged acupuncture as an effective or promising treatment for a variety of ailments including: muscle pain, asthma, adult post-operative and chemotherapy nausea, post-operative dental pain, addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, morning sickness, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
As acupuncture is becoming more common, many Americans believe that health maintenance organizations should cover the ancient Chinese therapy; and, while insurers have typically refused to pay for alternative therapies in the past, they are realizing they can save money reimbursing for unconventional treatment versus a costly, traditional approach such as surgery.
In California, a bill requiring workers compensation policies to cover acupuncture has been enacted.
As the trend grows towards a, "complementary" medical model, hospitals, medical centers and senior centers are exploring the prospects of integrating conventional Western medical approaches with Eastern therapies including acupuncture.
A recent survey found that almost two thirds of traditional US medical schools now teach alternative therapies, including chiropractic, acupuncture, herbal remedies and mind-body medicine.
